Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-04-29
ANGEL WISHES.

Nothing has more dismal aspect than
a freight depot on a rainy day ill winter
Under low and ghastly gray sky, the
long files uf motionleSs cars, loaded with
goods and covered with tarpaulins, look
like interminahle trains of catafalques
halting before the gate of cemetery
The eye cannot discern one SNOWY or
agreeable speck Of color. With the ex-
ception Of the austerely red signal disks,
everything is hlack-with blackness
which precisely recalls the tint of funeral
drapery. Ii is not water that is falling
from the sky-looks more like tears.
Everywhere prevails mournful silence,
occasionally broken by the wild shriekS of
locomotives The employees, themselves,
busy and solemn of aspect, look. as they
walk about the streaming platforms, like
so many RESTLESS ghosts on the shore of a
StyN.
The traveller who, after nights rail-
roading, looks out upon this picture.
which we have just described, through
the grimy windows OF his car. cannot
avoid the heartrending reflections on
thinking about his wife and family, tho
breaking up of his customary habits-ail
those pleasant things. in fine, to which
he bade farewell the evening before.
While waiting for the definite halting Of
the train AT the platform, he rolls himself
up in his overcoat like a hedgehog in his
hole, and gazes out, with chill in his
heart, upon those gloomy approaches TO
the city in which he is to be swallowed
up the next instant
This diSagreeable emotion filed tbs
soul of certain third class passenger,
who arrived ore afternoon-On a muddy
and chilly spring day-only last Maldi
Gras, in the '>orthern railroad depot at
Paris.
This passenger, who was wrapped from
head TO fooi in an enormous old fashioned
cloak, and whom his travelling compan-
ions, tired and sleepy rs they Were. kept
examining with curiosity from time TO
time, had got on the train during the
night, some miles on the other side of the
frontier-in Belgium
He had politely installed himself in a
corner Of the car: and sitting there with
his eyes closed, without saying a word,
without so much as lighting hi, pipe, and
totally indifferent to the conversation
going on, he was seen TO resign himself
like everybody else to the dismal condition
of all penniless passengers, condemned by
the railroad administration To total lack
of comfort in general and Of fire in par
ticular
Efforts We're made to get him to talk
But he did not seem TO understand what
was said TO him. Opening pair of very
beautiful eyes, of light color. he would
bow grayely in response; but, unlike the
rest OF the passengers, he had not related
his personal history, his habits and his
projects for the entertainment of an i'm
provised audience.
Weary Of chatting TO him without
avail, the others had finally left him 10
himself free and easy, TO sway To and fro
in his seat with the rocking Of the train.
Somebody-some joker who had made
several successive advances TO no pur-
pose-ohserved at last in regard 10 this
queer passenger:
That is a man from the moon"
The jest aroused great deal Of laugh
Der. Ii is SO easy to make people laugh in a
third class railway car.
The mysterious traveller appeared to
have also fel; all the sting of the pleas
antry. He showed IL, at least, by deli
cate contraction about the corners of his
mouth.
For though he had not exactly fallen
from the moon, he had actually come from
a region quite as high up. He was a real
angel. who had been pursued by carnal
desires. aud he descended upon earth In
order 10 get loved by the daughters Of
men.
He was a runaway from heaven.
As daylight progressed the female por-
tion of the passengers, now only few
hours ride from the capital. remarked the
marvellous blond hair that escaped in
confusion from beneath the old
felt hat worn by the unknown. The
and delicacy of SO much Of
his features as could be observed between
the collar of his coat and the crumpled
rim of his hat also made quite an impress
sion upon the minds of the ladies. On the
other hand. the men had commenced to
stare at their travelling companion with
astonished ewes. and even with something
ike envy, dissimulated under an air Of
Some even took the pains to
ask their fair neighbors TO ..look at the
landscape
But when the asthmatic train, yelling
like man with a ferociously bad cold,
suddenly steamed into the Paris station,
humping over the turn tables, the mys-
terious traveller was completely forgotten
by ladies as well as gentlemen, and every
body rushed from the cars with a sense OF
relief. stretching their legs, suufiing the
air and brandshing multiform packages.
The young and pretty traveller with the
fine head Of hair mingled in his turn with
the noisy stream OF people. He passed
through the waiting rooms and soon found